India

Prime Minister Modi Promises Full Support to Maharashtra Farmers Amid Drought

By Siddharth Gadkari

Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured farmers in Maharashtra that the Union government would provide all possible assistance amid the state’s drought. Speaking after virtually inaugurating Pune Metro’s Hinjewadi‑Shivajinagar Line 3, Modi said the state government had already approved an advance payment of ₹5,000 to eligible farmers in drought‑affected areas and that the Union government had deposited PM‑Kisan funds. He urged people nationwide to support farmers during the festival season, adding that farmers should not worry because the government stands firmly with them.

The PM‑Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme offers eligible families an annual financial assistance of ₹6,000 in three instalments through direct benefit transfer. Modi also highlighted that the Union government’s financial support is part of efforts to help farmers weather the crisis.

During the same event, Modi inaugurated the 23.2‑km elevated Metro Line 3, which will connect the Hinjewadi IT hub with Shivajinagar. Passenger services on the corridor will begin at 6 a.m. on November 4. The line, costing an estimated ₹8,313 crore, is the first Metro project in India to be implemented under a design‑build‑finance‑operate‑transfer framework through a public‑private partnership, in line with the National Metro Rail Policy, 2017. Known as the Pink Line, it has 23 stations and will improve connectivity between the city’s IT hub and central Pune. Services will initially operate at 17 stations, with the remaining stations to open in phases. The project will be operated entirely by women train operators, and about 30% of its electricity will be supplied by solar power.

Modi also laid the foundation stone for Pune Metro Phase II, which will include four proposed corridors—Lines 2A, 2B, 4 and 4A—estimated to cost around ₹13,500 crore. The expansion aims to extend Metro connectivity to key residential, commercial and employment centres such as Chandani Chowk, Vitthalwadi, Kharadi, Hadapsar, Magarpatta, Khadakwasla, Warje and Manik Baug, strengthening integration with the existing network and offering alternatives to private vehicles.